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I have seen both of these stories, and thought I should post and clarify, but haven’t had the time or incentive (lazy) to do it. Fortunately Ed Bangs sent out the following.

Not a wild wolf issue but was confused with one in media so…On the 28th, the Owyhee County Sheriff in ID requested ID WS [Wildlife Services] assistance with capturing a black privately-owned captive wolf that escaped from its enclosure late last month. The wolf has reportedly been sighted west of Murphy, ID several times since it escaped. On 11/22, the wolf was seen attacking some sheep. WS confirmed that one ewe had been killed by a wolf-like canid and two others had been injured. While traps have been set, WS is focusing on trying to locate the captive wolf. WS will work with the Sheriff and IDFG to resolve the problem.

In a related story this week another captive wolf/hybird was repeatedly seen in a suburb east of Salt Lake City, UT.

It turns out to be true, but the identification of the particular wolf was wrong. Ed Bangs just sent this info out. The boldface is mine:

“Correction- The frequency for the collared Idaho wolf in Yellowstone NP thought to be B195 is actually coming from Idaho wolf B271M. The two wolves had frequencies close to one another and B271 was mistaken for B195. Turns out B195 has a bob-tail and this one doesn’t so the mistake was eventually discovered by Niemeyer [former FWS and now IDFG]. B271 is currently with a dispersing female from Slough Creek Pack on the northern range of YNP- possibly the beginning of a new pack. B271’s story is amazing. B271’s father is highly likely R241M (who dispersed to ID from YNP; heli-darted 10/13/01 near Dome Mtn.). His mother is likely B189F (origin unknown). B271 was trapped in rubber-jawed McBride #7 by IDFG near the Steel Mt. pack den site (Lost Man Ck.; Boise NF) on 5/3/06. He was estimated as ~ 1 yr. old at that time; so if born in 2005 he belonged to a litter of 4-7 pups. He was aerially located 10 times prior to disappearing from ID following the 12/19/06 flight. His ear tags are both 413. Wow- the son returns to his father’s homeland.”

Fluvial (river) grayling have been reduced to just one river in the lower 48 states. USFWS doesn’t want to list them. They say graying in the few lakes that have them are sufficient. Western Watersheds Project and other groups are suing over this refusal to list.